Hi all, I am a martial arts instructor who has never worked with physically challenged children. there is the one 12 year old boy who is extremely interested in the martial arts. but for obvious reasons, he feels that he would not be comfortable inside a normal class. I don't know what his condition is called, but i do know that it has something to do with his spine.... bear with me as I describe his condition, please excuse me if I offend anyone... he wears crutches on each arm, they are wrapped around his hands, and he cannot move around without them. his feet are stuffed inside his shoes, but i do not think that he has any bones in his feet. his grandmother has told me that they are curled (?) his right hand is a bit weaker than his left, and as he gets older, he will lose motor skills in each hand/arm. he is a sharp kid, is into hip-hop fashion and such, real outgoing. does anyone have any suggestions as how I can show the kid how to defend himself? he cant throw kicks, and I imagine someone easily throwing him to the ground. so i was thinking perhaps some kind of defense you can do while sitting/laying down, while not having any control of your legs. keep in mind that he has crutches, and is not physically strong. thanks, TMMAk!
Something For Everyone Aside from being interested in MA, what are his reasons/goals for training? If it is going to be for self defense, I would be sure and show him what to do on the ground without his crutches. That being said, find out his current strength level, and range of motion in his arms and legs. Before I buried him in forms and techniques, I would spend a great deal of time working on improving his strength, balance, and coordination. Once he is strong enough, teach him techniques that he can readily apply. Also be sure that he understands that MA is not magic. In order to be successful he must work harder than other people. Be certain that he understands that no matter how good his MA skills become, he will always be at a physical disadvantage in confrontation. As to his daily training, rejoice in the small accomplishments. The more progress he sees and feels, the more likely he is to stick with it. I hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of more help. Much respect to you for being willing to go above and beyond to share the benefits of MA training with everyone.
I do not have experience dealing with disabled children specifically but I have had a great deal of disabled people (adults and children) in my life. My comments are based on observing and interacting with them as well as with their care-providers. I think it would be important to find out what his condition is and read up on it a little. If he has a physiotherapist (I'm sure he does), it may be wise to gain permission from his parents to call and see what progress he is expected to be able to attain and what you might be able to do to help encourage that with TKD. It's vital to know what you're dealing with so that you his family and he have realistic expectations as well as being able to form some type of a game plan. Many children with support crutches can crawl or "stand" on their knees. It's better to find out what he CAN do rather than what he can't and the only way to do that is to ask and/or have him try. As for self-defense, he has something many of us don't...weapons...aka: crutches . Honestly, don't let him look at them as a disadvantage but as an advantage. He needs to use all of his available resources in a self-defence situation. Also, you're going to have to be comfortable "handling" him. Odds are at 12 years old he's used to living with his condition but situations may arise when he falls and is unable to maneuver to get up. It just depends on his abilities. Disabled or not I think it's best if a potential student (and their parents if the student is young) watches for a couple of weeks before participating. It gives THEM an idea of what to expect. If you do not feel competent to handle this situation it's best to be up front with the boy and parents now. It's not an either or situation obviously...you can give it a go and see what happens (kind of a trial basis...not for him...for you ). LOL, boy you were worried about being offensive?? I hope I'M not stepping on YOUR toes ! Anyway, honesty and openness is the best course of action. Do what you feel is best for all those involved :Angel: . The boy deserves the opportunity without a doubt but you're not the only instructor that can provide it...there may be a better opportunity for him elsewhere. Either way, let us know how it goes! Kelly
Be Prepared For The Worst Originally Posted By: Kelly Owens "As for self-defense, he has something many of us don't...weapons...aka: crutches . Honestly, don't let him look at them as a disadvantage but as an advantage. He needs to use all of his available resources in a self-defence situation." IMO teaching him to use the crutches as weapons early into his training is a bad idea. In a real situation an attacker is more likely to snatch the crutches away from him and beat him with them. He should first learn how to fight from the ground without them. Why? Because this is where he will most likely end up in a real confrontation. I'm not saying that he should never train with the crutches as weapons. He should just be adequately prepared to defend himself without them first. Also, strength and balance training should take precedence over techniques in the beginning of his training. If he has no strength or balance, what good is any technique going to do him? One of my former students was confined to a chair. His arms and hands were not strong. One day during training he became bored with the strength training we were doing. He made the comment that if he had a stick he could defend himself without much muscle. I handed him a short stick and told him to hit me. He swung twice. I side stepped twice, snatched the stick and swung it, stopping about 1/4 inch from his nose. He grinned and said, "I see your point hand me that weight." I totally agree that anyone who wants to train should train, but keep it real. Showing any technique to someone without sufficient strength to apply it effectively is giving them a false sense of confidence that will get them hurt or even killed. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade here. However, MA is not just another form of exercise. If you're going to teach anyone, they should be taught in a manner that will allow them to use this new found knowledge and ability for real if they ever have to. JMO Peace.
LOL, I didn't mean that was the first thing he should learn ! I agree with all that you've said and can't argue with any of it...even if I wanted to . Kelly P.S. You'd be hard pressed to rain on my parade :Angel: !
